Reversible back for car-seats



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

PatentedAug. 7, 1888.

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2 SheetS- -Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 387,404. Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

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UNITE STATES JOSEPH P. DOYLE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

REVERSIBLE BACK FOR CAR=SEATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,4:04, dated August 7, 1888.

Application filed February 15, 1888. Serial No. 264,120. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH P. DOYLE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State. of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible Backs for Gar-Seats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a reversible back for car-seats which shall be simple in construction, durable, and not liable to breakage; and it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a v part of this specification, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a car-seat having my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same, a part ofthe upholstery being removed.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both figures.

In the drawings, a represents a canseat resting on supports which are attached to the end frames I) Z), the latter being of any suitable design and adapted to be secured to the floor of a car.

The back constituting my invention is com posed of two general partsviz., a frame, d, rigidly secured to two swinging levers, e e, and provided on both sides with covering or cushion d, of suitable material, constituting the upper or head-rest portion of the back, and a frame,f, connected by hinges g to the frame (1 and depending therefrom, said frame 5 f having an upholstery covering, f, on both sides, and constituting a back-support below the head-rest portion.

For convenience of description Iwill call the frame d and its covering the upper section of the back and the hinged framef and its covering the lower section of the back.

The levers e e, to which the upper section is rigidly attached, extend downwardly through openings between the ends of the seat a and the frame-pieces b b, and are pivoted at their lower ends to central ears, h, formed on said frame-pieces b, so that said levers and the back supported by them can be inclined to bring the back to either edge of the seat, as indicated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lower section of the back being hinged to the upper section normally hangs in a vertical position therefrom and is prevented from swinging back beyond a given point in either direction by short chains 2', secured to the lower portions of said lower section and to the arms 2 4 of the frame of the upper section. The length of said chains determines the extent to whichthe lower section may swing back from the seat, and they may be adjusted so that the said section will stand vertically, as shown, or will have aforward inclination from its upper to its lower edge.

The space 3 between the frames (2 f may be covered and the hinges g concealed by strips la k, of leather, plush, or other suitable material, secured to said frames.

It will be seen that whenever the levers e e are turned from one position to the other the lower section of the back conforms automatically to the changed position of the upper section, so that in each position the supporting-surfaces of the back are in the same relation to the seat and to each other, the two sections conforming to the back of the sitter equally well in both positions.

As the upper edge of the back is the same in both positions, the necessity of making the back of such width that its lower edge projects below the seat is obviated. Economy of material is thus effected, and an opening, 5, is left between the seat and the lower edge of the back, through which cinders, dust, &c.,will pass to the floor instead of being retained between the back and seat.

The frame f is provided with the downwardly-extending side pieces, 2, which are bolted to the levers e, the latter having sockets 6 for the lower ends of said side pieces. The side pieces, 2, are preferably upholstered or covered with plush. The upper section may be of such height as to constitute a headrest, or may be of only sufficient width to constitute, with the lower section, a support for the back.

I am aware that it is not new to pivot a seatback to levers which are pivoted below the seat and swing at the ends of the seat, the pivoted back being reversible by movements of the levers; and I do not claim, broadly, the combination, with a seat, of a back composed of an upper section attached to pivoted lev- :2 sir/ ,404

ers and a lower section hinged to the upper section.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a stationary carseat having fixed arm-rests at the ends thereo f, and the frame-pieces b, having centrally'apertured ears, of the levers pivotally secured at their lower ends to said ears and projected up between the said seat and arms, and having sockets 6 secured to their inner sides, the frame (Z, having the parallel arms secu red to the up per ends of said levers and having their lower ends in said sockets, the lower fran1e,f, the hingesg, connecting said frames, and the chains t 2, connected to said levers and lower frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the fixed seat and the fixed arm-rests at the ends thereof, of the levers e e, pivoted to fixed supports below the seat and arranged to swing between the ends of the seat and the fixed arm-rests, the upper back-section composed of an upholstered frame having downwardlyprojecting side pieces, 2, rigidly attached to the upper ends of said levers, the lower back section connected by hingesg to the upper back'section and adapted to swing backwardly in either direction, the coveringstrips 7c 7r, whereby said hinges are concealed, and the chains i, connecting the levers and the lower back-section, whereby the backward movement of the same in each direction is limited, as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 10th day of February, 5

JOSEPH P. DOYLE. Witnesses:

G. F. BROWN, A. D. Hnnmson. 

